I don’t normally rant, but when I do, I usually have a good reason. Trust me, this is a good reason. As my Galaxy S6 smartphone is already starting to slow down, and my friend was mentioning his iPhone 6 slowing down, it got me thinking: why does a $600+ smartphone only last 2 years?
Is It Rigged?
Honestly, I have no choice but to wonder if smartphone manufacturers rig their hardware and/or software. Flagship smartphones are supposed to be advanced — the best of the best, so why am I going to plop down $650 for that shiny new iPhone that’s only gonna last me 2 years? I understand – when you update your software, it slows your phone down, I get it. But I find it curious that an iPhone typically runs smooth for 2 updates, before slowing to a screeching halt. Coincidence? Maybe. I just find it quite interesting that smartphone/device payment plans are structured around a 2 year timeline, and the phone conveniently slows down after 2 years, tempting you to slap down another precious $650. I don’t understand how phones with a beefy 4GB of RAM can get so sluggish after only 2 years. Especially Android phones! I have only gotten 1 major update from my Android phone (from Android 5 to Android 6), and initially, the phone was running faster after the update. After just a few short months, it started to get sluggish. Absolutely unacceptable!
The Compact Shell is the Benefit of the Doubt
If you wanted to assume the benefit of the doubt, and not blame smartphone giants for sluggish performance, to be fair, a smartphone shell is compact. My laptop is still running as fast as they day I got it.. 2 years later! My laptop also has laptop parts, and not minuscule parts. With a much bigger shell, it’s no wonder my laptop can handle a heavier load. I’m no computer hardware expert, but I would assume smaller = sacrificing performance. With that being said, it’s no wonder our smartphones can’t render 4K videos like our laptops and desktops.
One Thing’s for Sure: Manufacturers are Biased for their New Phones
This is a given: smartphone manufacturers spend more of their time optimizing software for their new hardware, and that makes perfect sense. Of course the software on your Galaxy S7 will be more optimized than that of the S6. It only makes sense as a smartphone manufacturer to put your optimization where your new phones are.
Conclusion
Perhaps we may never know the true reason behind sluggish performance in phones older than 2 years, but one thing’s for sure: it’s frustrating! I’m looking forward to the day that a smartphone can comfortably last 4 years. For the cost of a flagship smartphone, I think it needs to last 4 years with fast performance, and at least 1 additional year of decent performance without becoming unacceptably slow. Why do you think smartphones slow down after 2 years? Drop a comment below!
